My memory is certainly hazy, what with age and booze and those medical experiments I routinely volunteer for to earn extra cash, but I remember seeing [Nomar] standing up, in front of the dugout, applauding us. Us. The perpetually disappointed (at that time, anyway) masses.

"There's a lot that goes into a being a really good player that maybe isn't always the fairest," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But he's a good kid, and he'll always be a good kid. I hope they give him a great ovation. And then I hope he hits into a double play."

First he mentioned he doesn't know/care about why Lars Anderson isn't up instead of the other kid. Then while discussing how Oakland's rotation is all rookies, he says "It'd be like the red sox starting Ellsbury - I mean, Buchholz and...that other kid down there, every game" D.O.: "Bowden, Michael Bowden..."

And on a related ignorance note, he mentioned how he doesn't care about anything Nomar did after Boston because his tenure there makes him a shoo-in for the hall.

And this is all in the parts of the game my slingbox hasn't been crapping out for!

Good evening, JoS. Enjoyed the Nomar ovation very much. NESN showing a HUGE moon. Made my own salsa. Wish we saw the Baltimore Smoltz. Finding it funny that Eck was talking about how Wells says what's on his mind and doesn't mince words, etc. Describing himself to a lesser degree.

Now I am going to the gym. Haven't exercised in awhile. Enjoy the rest of the game.

I thought it was sort of ironic/poignant that when Nomar was getting his ovation, the camera kept showing his replacement in that trade. I happen to think we never should have let Cabrera go. But yeah, Ofer, I thought it was odd.

Lowrie and Ellsbury were highly touted prospects. Baseball people had been watching them for years.

The SSs that did not work out after getting rid of OCab were not predictable cases. No one could have known Renteria would be such a dud (for example). People were very excited about him, expected good things.

Laura, you are out-lawyering me here! You are right that my point is not entirely logical. I conceded already that it was a good deal to get the prospects. But I can still be disappointed about the deals they made for SS with those three later players.

BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A SHUTOUT!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A SHUTOUT!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A SHUTOUT!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A SHUTOUT!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A SHUTOUT!!!!!And, just for good measure:BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A WIN!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A WIN!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A WIN!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A WIN!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A WIN!!!!!BRETT ANDERSON IS PITCHING A WIN!!!!!

Ok. Flame away again, but this Smoltz "comeback" should be on another team that can afford to keep tossing him out there in the middle of a pennant race.

Some SoSHer compared this to the Tiant "experiment" in 1971, but that was very different, which a younger pitcher, on a team going nowhere, but looking for something that might help later. (Yes, I know we wound up in the thick of it at the end, but that was a strike-infested fluke, as was Aparicio falling at third which put an end to all that.)

Here in 2009, Clay Buchholz should have pitched tonight and should pitch five days from now. If not him, Michael Bowden. The pathetic A's showed us why tonight. The future is with kids. It is kids: the Pedroias, the Ellsburys and, before that the Youks and Paps who will lead the way, not someone else's hero playing his last days out here.

As for washed up heroes making one last turn, Nomar, despite the disconsolate 2004 and his stupid agent, should get his chance before he hangs it up. Somewhere around September 1, when we can have 40, we ought to find a place for him and a shirt with a 5 on its back for him to wear. He might have seen a championship in Boston were it not for Grady's brain freeze and though he brought on his own departure by acting as if he had been imprisoned here, that was a long time ago and worked out for everyone except him. His mistake, to be sure, but he deserves to end it here. Smoltz should end it elsewhere.

Here in 2009, Clay Buchholz should have pitched tonight and should pitch five days from now.

Buchholz isn't in the rotation because of his own doing. He pitched terrible last season, which is why the front office went out and got Penny and Smoltz. Judging by your knee-jerk reaction to the two bad innings Smoltz has had this year, you most certainly would have been calling for Buchholz' head last season, and would've wanted him out of a Sox uniform as well.

I, for one, stand behind Smoltz - he's been around in MLB for nearly as long as my life, meaning he clearly knows his stuff, he's coming back from a serious shoulder surgery, and he's made two starts in the A.L. Talk about small sample size, cut the guy some slack. It seems as if you are expecting him to be lights out. He really hasn't been all that bad. He has had two shitty innings - the first being inning 1 back in the bigs, and the second being last night. In both of those games, the Red Sox offense was completely shut down by opposing pitchers.

If we come back and score 5 right after he gives up 4, I guarantee you don't make that post.

On the comment about Buchholz last year as compared to Smoltz this year:

I see them completly differently becuase Buchholz is a young up and coming guy who not only deserves patience, but requires it. We have much more time for him to work out the kinks, either in Pawtucket or, if he is ready again for it, Boston. I did not call for his head last year, though I though Pawtucket might be the best place for him while he was pitching poorly.

With Smoltz, though, we are at the end of the road. His career has been long and distinguished, but there is not time to let him work things out, because he is 42 already and coming off surgery to boot.

Yes, when you are talking about your own guys there is more leeway to be given out of deference to their many years of service. Yaz comes to mind, of course, but so does Schilling. Harry Sinden made a big mistake in casting Orr away so that he finished his career in another city, but it would be different if the player at issue was not so connected to the team.

I admire Smoltz both for what he has done and what he is trying to do now. It's just that we are not the team with which he should be experimenting. Washington might be a better place or, if he is willing, I guess, Pawtucket.

On the flame comment it is duly withdrawn. I was tired and really ticked off that we blew a chance to gain ground. This has been a really disappointing home stand so far. There are extenuating circumstances out of our control (Lowell, then Bailey, going down, for instance) but this Smoltz thing is of our own doing. It is not just two bad innings. He does not look good to me: his slider does not break the way it used to, and his control is way off. He is 42.

First place means very little to me at this point in the season. I like it, and it is better than being in, say, second place, but it says very little. We should be further ahead, frankly, but we don't hit all that well, and really haven't for about three years. (We won a pennant and championship in one of those years, which says something, too.)

Still, were I Theo (oh, would that be great) I would feel pretty good and not anxious to do too much. I would try to find away to get Bucky and possibly Bowden up here and let the Smoltz thing take a back seat, for reasons I have mentioned. I would also try to shore up the bench with a little more pop than we currently seem to have in Pawtucket or Portland and yes, Nomie seems like the ticket to me, particularly if he can play first, which he did in LA. But nothing big.